Residents of Brookside Townhouses and Woodbridge Crossing, a Navy housing complex, were forced out of their condominiums and apartments in September, when rains from Hurricane Floyd caused floods 9 feet deep in areas.

Residents from Heatherwood Apartments have been added to the lawsuit since the city was first notified of possible litigation in early February.

City officials have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. A city report released in December blamed flooding on 16 inches of rain that swamped drainage pipes and caused flooding across the Peninsula.

But Sacks said the city was at fault for allowing more and more construction above the three housing complexes without improving storm-water drainage.

Sacks said a 60-inch pipe that emptied a creek running beside the complexes into the Warwick River should have been replaced with a bigger pipe when a new subdivision was built nearby.

Valenzuela doesn't expect to see any money coming from the lawsuit for years - certainly not in time to help pay $15,000 in credit-card bills racked up while paying flood-related expenses.

Before the flood, Valenzuela operated a day-care center out of her apartment. But she lost all her supplies in the flood and now lives in military housing in Norfolk.

Unable to reopen the center, she said, her and her husband's monthly income has been cut by more than half.

Still, Valenzuela said, all she wanted from the city was an apology and some help.

"Just to say sorry," she said, "and 'Look, we know what you went through, and how can we help you get past this?' "

Fred Carroll can be reached at 247-4756 or by e-mail at fcarroll@dailypress.com